THE WITCH (2015)

4/18/2016 - The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015) - 7+/10

Atmospheric and immersive, dragging us as the audience into a time of ignorance and superstition, and then leaving us alone to flounder in fear as the foreboding woods encroach upon us. This is a damned fine film, relying on artistry and talent while leaving the shocks and jumps behind for the "slasher of the season" bs film crop.

Though they often can go unseen, the level of detail and thought that went into the design/construction of the set, clothing, props, and dialogue were immense and transportive. It was easy to feel like an outsider dropped into the authentic events occurring to a damned family of this time. That trueness gave the film a stability an earnestness that it needed for believability and empathy.

The score is brash at first but hauntingly creeps into the belly of this film. The acting was strong and credible. Wisely shot and edited, with a skill approaching audacious for a first-time filmmaker.

Not overly "scary" but there is an ambiance and malice soaked into every frame. A psychological terror time-bomb, with nature, the unseen, and bubbling & inescapable dread pulling the strings throughout. This is a film not about a scary witch or devilry, but the demonizing accompanying a choking world view, spurned on by burgeoning sexuality, budding feminist inklings, and the "white man's" mercy to the natural world that is beyond him. One example is that of the fathers penetrative but impotent constant chopping of wood, exhibiting his manliness in a phallic display but doing little against the deep presence of Mother Nature, who sees his manly tamings of the wilderness as meaningless.

Probably the biggest issues are the expectations heaped upon the film by hype and the thick authenticity of the dialogue - it can be trying to catch it all. But it is not that "scariest film in forever" tagline that became emblazoned upon it by the studio. It's neither trying nor meant to be. Rather, it is a short, small film that stirs unease and hints at darkness, rarely shoving it down your gullet. If you accept the Witch's shady embrace, she will capture your thoughts and turn your apathy to ash in your mouth.